Photothermal stability of encapsulated Si solar cells and encapsulation materials upon accelerated exposures

We have conducted a series of accelerated exposure test (AET) studies for various samples of crystalline-Si (c-Si) and amorphous-Si (a-Si) cells that were encapsulated with different superstrates, pottants, and substrates. Transmittance, fluorescence, color indices, impedance spectroscopy, laser optical beam induced current (OBIC), and light and dark current–voltage (I–V) measurements were used to characterize the samples. Nonuniform browning patterns of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) pottants were observed for glass/EVA/glass-encapsulated c-Si cell samples under solar simulator exposures at elevated temperatures. The EVA discolored gradually into a yellow–brown color when exposed under ∼7.5 ultraviolet (UV) suns at a black panel temperature (BPT) of ∼85°C, and very rapidly into a dark brown color when exposed under ∼9.0 UV suns at a BPT of ∼145°C. The latter conditions also caused extensive delamination of a polyolefin-based thermoplastic pottant laminated between two borosilicate plates. No visible color change of EVA could be observed for the c-Si cell samples heated in an oven at 85°C or exposed under ∼1.2 UV suns at BPT=60–65°C or 80–85°C. Under ∼1.2 UV suns exposure at a BPT of 60–65°C, the thin layers of EVA or silicone in the lightweight c-Si cell samples, which were laminated in a polymer/solar cell/polymer configuration with Tedlar or Tefzel films, did not discolor because of photobleaching reactions. In comparison, the polyester or nylon superstrate films turned yellow on laminates of polymer/a-Si/polymer minimodules, and significant delamination was observed for the polyester/EVA layers. For all c-Si cell samples tested, irregular changes in the I–V parameters were observed that could not be attributed only to transmittance changes of the superstrate/pottant layers. Under UV-transmitting polymer superstrate films, current/efficiency losses were greater for the c-Si and a-Si cells that were laminated with silicone-type adhesives than with EVA or polyethylene pottants.